69 Scout 800 Build

[Georgia Scout]

Hello All

I am new to Scouts and this forum, but I have to say thank you for all of the information that has been posted. It has made life easier when it has come to researching what exactly I purchased.

The Scout was originally a 4 banger with an automatic trans. It now holds a much larger V8 with more cooling than I have ever seen before. There are 2 radiators, and 2 oil filters with a separate oil cooler. When I purchased the Scout it did not shift nor stop. So I replaced the brake master cylinder, the clutch master with a single reservoir brake master, and the clutch slave cylinder. So now I can move it around and it will stop but all 4 wheel cylinders are going to have to be replaced.



Now that I can drive it I have found that the 35 x 12.5 r15's rub the leaf springs when turning tight under load. I think that I will replace the tires with some pizza cutters. Either 35 x 10.5 or 33 x 10.5. Not real sure right now.



Since the drive train seem to be in pretty good shape considering the unknown age and abuse. I have started to strip the body down to remove the rust and replace what ever metal needs to be replaced. There are some real bad spots and I am not real sure what exactly how I am going to repair them but hey have welder will weld. Here are some pictures of the whole Scout and the one fender that I have stripped and removed most of the rust. Now it is time to make a shopping list and keep removing all of the paint and bondo.








Also I am sure that I will be needing some experienced assistance so if there is anyone in the Atlanta area feel free to send me a message.

Have a great day.

[Georgia Scout]

Here are some more pictures of the suspension. The leaf springs are far longer than most of the Scouts I have seen so I am not real sure what they came out of.

Front



Rear




Ford Power Steering


Once I get the transmission out and cleaned up I should be able to id it.


Transfer Case 2 stick not sure which one I have to clean it up to find the id.


Now for the nasty stuff it is amazing what weather stripping will cover up. I just hope that it is repairable if not. Then adapt and overcome will become the motto.




And finally the dash I have no idea what they sprayed on the inside and all over the dash but it is flaking off like its plastic.

[Mark B 70SR2]

That thing has evidently gotten a truck/travelall drivetrain. Divorced t/c, truck oil pan, and it looks like you have power steering. Reverse shackle, someone really liked to tinker, as that was alot of work. 35's are big for that front axle, but if it ain't broke... Welcome to the board!

[SCscoutguy]

Man someone did a spring over on a closed knuckle Dana 30. That is the first time I have ever seen that. I think I would do some serious suspension work on that baby before I drove it at all. Other than that it looks to be a pretty solid good looking truck.

[guidolyons]

Wow...that's got to be the most creative way to add a second radiator I've ever seen

Over all it looks pretty good though, I'd say...the SOA looks like it was done well and not too booty-fabalicous. Although, I wonder how long that D30 will last with 35's.

I agree with MarkB on the drivetrain, looks like eng/transmission/divorced 205 from a IH truck.

The rust under the weatherstriping might be a small challenge to repair.

The gray speckled stuff on the dash and floor looks like Zolatone DIY bedliner.

[Georgia Scout]

Originally Posted by SCscoutguy

Man someone did a spring over on a closed knuckle Dana 30. That is the first time I have ever seen that. I think I would do some serious suspension work on that baby before I drove it at all. Other than that it looks to be a pretty solid good looking truck.

So, what kind of suspension work would you suggest that I do. I know that a Dana 44 up front would be better setup, but is there anything else.

[SCscoutguy]

Originally Posted by Georgia Scout

So, what kind of suspension work would you suggest that I do. I know that a Dana 44 up front would be better setup, but is there anything else.

I would go back to spring under if you are going to keep that axle because there is no way to do a cut and turn on that axle to fix the caster which is obviously really bad by looking at the drive shaft. It would be dangerous to drive in the condition it is in now. I personally would not drive it 10 feet with the way it is ghetto fabbed right now.

[guidolyons]

Originally Posted by SCscoutguy

I would go back to spring under if you are going to keep that axle because there is no way to do a cut and turn on that axle to fix the caster which is obviously really bad by looking at the drive shaft. It would be dangerous to drive in the condition it is in now. I personally would not drive it 10 feet with the way it is ghetto fabbed right now.

Based on how low his pinion angle is, and from what I can see, his caster angle doesn't look too bad. The upper kingpin looks to be tilted back a few degrees (positive caster). It looks better than a lot of booty fab SOAs that have a bunch of negative caster.

Steering doesn't look bad either... the stock ball and socket isn't the greatest, but at least he doesn't have a booty fabbed Z-link drag link.

Georgia Scout- slap an angle finder on your knuckle and check the caster angle.

You CAN do a cut and turn on a closed knuckle axle. Toyota guys do it all the time. It's more labor intensive and depending on how the axle tube is cut usually requires a sleeve, but it can be done. Open knuckle is much easier.

Before you go through the trouble of a cut and turn on a closed knuckle axle, it makes more sense to start looking for a D44 (Jeep Wagoneer, SOA, Flat top knuckles, good width for a S80/800, swap ford hubs to get 5 on 5.5" lug pattern)


I'm diggin' those classic "turbine" wheels, too.

[Georgia Scout]

So, I put my angle finder on the top of the knuckle and I was reading 3.5 not quite 4 degrees negative caster.

[guidolyons]

You sure it's negative caster? It look like the top kingpin behind the lower kingpin? From the pics you posted, with the reverse shackle set up, it *looks* like the top kingpin is tilted back a few degrees.



If you have ~4* of positive caster you should be good. If it's negative caster...then it will wander, not want to return to center, and generally be dangerous to drive.

A mistake most people make when doing a SOA (or just adding longer shackles) on Scouts (with the stock front mounted shackles) tilts the pinion angle up, and the top kingpin forward which leads to a lot of negative caster, but with the reverse shackle (like yours), it tends to tilt the pinion down, but gives you a few degrees of positive caster.

If it steers and drives fine, I'd leave it alone until you find a D44 to slide under there.